A domestic drama set in beautiful Tasmania. What's not to love?
Female relationships are expertly explored with many different topics covered, each handled beautifully.
A powerful and ultimately heartwarming novel I highly recommend.

A Family of Strangers by author Fiona Lowe contained some interesting characters and intertwining stories. The story had a good setting, and the interweaving elements within the story had me going to and fro re-reading scenes and chapters for clarity. Another likeable read from the author.
Review copy received from the Publisher via Netgalley

Fiona Lowe is an author that I fast fell in love with, her cast of characters is always diverse and entertaining with a range of relatable flaws. None of her characters are perfect and it makes them all that much easier to love.

A Family of Strangers brings together a motley crew of locals from the small seaside town of Rookery Cove on the Tasmanian coast. The only thing these characters seem to really have in common is their connection to the newly reformed local choir.

These people struggled with so many issues that are topical and relevant which will touch the hearts of a wide audience.

Addy is only back in her old hometown to do a quick reno on her childhood home while she's working for a big promotion and commuting. She plans to get the renos done while working her way up the ladder at work and when she lands the promotion move closer to campus. Things don't quite go to plan when she is roped into joining the choir, and everything in her life starts to spiral as she falls into old habits.
Addy is a character that I really felt for, she had a lot going on in her head and I had my suspicions about what was going to be revealed late in the story.

Lowe explores the lives of the widowed Grandmother, the young mother, the single career woman and all of the different dynamics that come into play in modern family units. I want to be really careful of spoilers so I won't say too much.

In this modern day family comes in so many forms, and it's not always bonded by blood. Sometimes the closest family is the one that we make for ourselves. This is a beautiful story of truth, loss, love, growth and discovery. I laughed, I cried and I cheered on all the characters to find and live their truths.

A Family of Strangers is told from the point of view of three women.

Addy who has returned to the family home at Rookery Cove in Tasmania after being offered a teaching job at the local college. Her parents have passed away so Addy plans to renovate the home and sell it when her contract is up. She is getting away from a broken relationship and has a dark secret from her past that she is drinking to forget - only won’t admit she is having alcoholic blackouts - and work is a struggle.

Stephanie has recently moved to Rookery Cove with her husband and young son. It is supposed to be a sea change - live life at a slow pace with each taking the time to support the other in their career. What wasn’t planned was her husband’s teenage daughter being dumped on them permanently. Pregnant again Stephanie is totally overwhelmed doing everything for everyone with no sign of the promised help. She has reached the end of her tether - something has to give.

Brenda is a long term resident and after she was widowed she left the family farm and built a retirement house in town. She has three adult children and sees her grandchildren regularly. But Brenda has a secret that she has been keeping from her family for years. She has an uneasy relationship with her daughter Courtney. Courtney is a helicopter mum and claims Brenda was a hopeless mother so she is going to be there for her children. Brenda’s house mate, Marilyn, suggests Brenda and she set up a choir and enter into the eisteddfod Brenda jumps at the suggestion.

Andy is cajoled into joining the choir, Stephanie joins as it is a chance to get away from her increasingly stressful home life. Courtney joins but has issues not only with her mother, but Stephanie and Addy as well. All this simmering tension of secrets being kept results in an emotional explosion one night at Choir practise where secrets are revealed and lives shattered.

Addy, Brenda and Stephanie all have to work out their issues and work together to sort out their lives and relationships.

A Family of Strangers is a page turner and is set against of a background of issues faced by women and girls today. Parenting, bullying, sexism in the workplace, alcoholism, infertility, coming out and social media shaming. All very topical and harrowing subjects which were handled beautifully. Fiona Lowe is a favourite author of mine all her books are gripping with very believable characters.

The moment I started this book, I could relate to a lot of the story. I loved reading it - amazing characters that are so well portrayed you can picture them. It's a lengthy read, but doesn't lose your interest throughout. I was definitely absorbed in what happens for the characters. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this lovely book in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t know what it is, perhaps it’s because I’ve been there to visit, but I love books that are set in Tasmania. I find the author's descriptions of the areas are so beautifully written and Aussie author Fiona Lowe is also one of those authors.

A Family of Strangers although quite a chunky book I found I was turning pages rather quickly and before I knew it I was on the last page. A truly wonderfully written book about family, friendships and secrets. Highly recommended.

With thanks to Netgalley for my digital copy to read and review.

The sixth contemporary novel from Australian author Fiona Lowe, A Family of Strangers is an appealing story that features three women- college lecturer Addy Topic who views her return to her late parents home in Rookery Cove, Tasmania, as a temporary convenience; Stephanie Gallagher who, along with her husband, toddler son and, unexpectedly, her teen step-daughter, has relocated from Melbourne in hopes of a better work/life balance; and mother, grandmother, and recent widow Brenda Lambeck, who is reluctant to reveal to her family, especially her narrow minded daughter Courtney, that her ‘boarder’, Marilyn, is actually her lover.

Strangers to one another, the catalyst to their meeting is the reformation of the Rookery Cove Choir at the behest of Marilyn. Stephanie is excited for both the opportunity to make friends and escape the rising tensions at home, and though neither Brenda, nor Addy are initially enthusiastic about the idea for their own reasons, the camaraderie of the choir proves to be a salve for them all. That is, until the night of their first performance, when an indiscreet comment exposes secrets that trigger confrontations and self examination.

Relationships-particularly those between mothers and daughters, escape, and being true to yourself are the main themes of A Family of Strangers, represented in different ways among the characters. Each struggle to find a balance between what others want from them, and what they need for themselves, in the way that is familiar to many women.

Brenda, Addy and Stephanie are well drawn, complex characters. They make good decisions, and bad, at times I found them sympathetic, at other times frustrating, but it’s their flaws make them realistic. Representing different ages and stages of life, it’s likely the experiences of one or more characters will resonate, their thoughts or actions reflecting your own.

Lowe addresses several topical issues, and in particular the ways in which they impact on women including alcoholism, sexual assault, sexual identity, workplace harassment, misogyny, the burden of domestic ‘mental load’, work/life balance, miscarriage, and infertility. Drawing on her experience as a counsellor, the author’s portrayal of the drama and emotion surrounding these challenging issues is genuine and sensitive.

A Family of Strangers is an engaging, thoughtful and astute novel.

Australian author Fiona Lowe has done it again. She has totally reeled me in and made me feel so fully involved in the lives of her characters. At first I found all the characters and situations a little overwhelming, but once I was in - I was in! A little bit of reader concentration and work never hurts us!

The story is told from three women's point of view. They all live in a small town in Tasmania and while they start out not very linked, its not long before they are all interacting and enabling each other to work through the challenges facing each of them.

Addy has returned to the Rookery Cove to take up a teaching job and refurbish the house where she lived with her parents. It soon becomes apparent that she drinks heavily and that her life is not going well. She overworks and quite frankly her school situation stinks.

Brenda is in her late fifties and has just started living with her lover Miriam. But her family think Miriam is just a lodger. Miriam wants to share with others who they are, but Brenda is nervous and holding back. Plus she just doesn't seem to get along with her uptight daughter Courtney. Her lovely grand daughter Livvy is however nothing short of a blessing.

Stephanie and her husband Henry have moved to the Cove to get more of a work/life balance. Only trouble is that just isn't working out from Stephanie's way of seeing it. Add to that now Zoe, Henry's daughter has been foisted upon them by Zoe's mother. Baby Monty is a charm but he is in constant need of care of course.

So many issues in this book that the characters are dealing with. It soon becomes obvious what the three main characters are coping with or in fact not coping with. However as a reader I wonder as I read why Zoe is acting out?

Tying all this together is the Rookery Choir, resurrected by Miriam and Brenda. It brings people together, and eventually helps bring about wondrous things. I can't sing and would never join a choir but I can really see the benefits.

As each of the three women face into how they need to move forward, I was returning to the book every minute I had. Wanting to move through it, yet aware I was moving to the end. I loved the ending but am already missing these characters.

Some books stand out from the pack from the moment you start reading them and for me, A Family of Strangers is one of those. Set in the small coastal town of Rookery Cove in north-western Tasmania, this story is told through the eyes of three complex and beautifully developed characters. Addy, a teacher, is a perfectionist in her work, is outwardly perfectly coordinated both in her dress and her behaviour, and yet it becomes clear very early on in the story that she is also an alcoholic and the perfect veneer is just an act. Steph is clearly not coping with juggling motherhood, her fledgling home toy making business and the endless chores her husband Henry throws her way without notice. Brenda, in her late fifties and recently widowed, is struggling to find a way to tell her children that she’s in a relationship with Marilyn, the woman they think is boarding in her home. The establishment of a community choir is the kernel that brings these threads together, helps each woman to face their problems and become comfortable in their own skins. This story is well researched, superbly structured and beautifully written. It deals with some challenging topics including sexual abuse, alcoholism, bullying and gaslighting but in a sensitive way. There are some shocking moments but ultimately this story is uplifting. It is also a compelling read from start to finish and a book that will definitely be going on my keeper shelf.

Right from the first page I just knew I was going to love this book... and that I did.

The location hooked me in straight away, growing up in Penguin, it was fabulous to read a book set on the North West Coast of Tasmania.

A Family of Strangers centres around 3 amazing women, Steph, Addy and Brenda, they are each negotiating different issues within their personal lives.

I loved how these women came together and through their support of one another their lives become richer for it.

Andy Topic moves back to Rookery Cove in Tasmania, her parents passed away four years ago, and she’s been offered a teaching job at the local college and with a possibility of a promotion. Addy’s a very mixed up person, who uses alcohol and one night stands to cover up her pain. She reluctantly becomes involved in the community choir, her mum’s best friend Brenda convinces her to join and so much for keeping a low profile while in town!

Stephanie Gallagher moves to Rookery Cove with her husband Henry and young son Monty for a sea change and to live life at a much slower pace. Stephanie desperately wants to have another baby and Henry has a teenage daughter Zoe who lives with her mother in Melbourne. The dynamics in the house changes when thirteen year old Zoe starts living with them full-time, Stephanie feels she’s doing everything for both children and she's overwhelmed. Stephanie decides to join the newly formed choir, it will give her a break from being at home and hopefully she will make some much needed friends.

When Brenda Lambeck's husband Glen suddenly passes away, and she decides to still build their retirement home in Rookery Cove. Marilyn boards with Brenda, she’s a teacher at the local school and she thinks it’s a great idea to start a choir? Brenda’s has three adult children, Colin, Courtney and Richard and she’s a proud grandmother and sees her grandchildren every week. Brenda’s been keeping a big secret for years, if it's discovered, she knows the one person who will make her life difficult and judge her very harshly will be her daughter Courtney.

All hell breaks loose when someone blabs about Brenda's private life and it has a domino effect. Andy, Brenda and Stephanie are all forced to face the problems and challenges in their lives and can they make to changes to save their troubled relationships and friendships? The story highlights very common issues that women and teenage girls face in today’s world, sexism in the work place, gas lighting, using alcohol to cope, imbalance of parenting and running a household, teenage girls being bullied at school and how it changes their behavior, and the difficulties of coming out to your family and friends.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review, Fiona Lowe’s narrative tackles subjects that most women can relate to and will have experienced during some stage. Using music, singing and being in a choir creates a bond between the characters, shows the importance of being part of a group and the community can help a persons mental health and self-esteem. I highly recommend reading A Family of Strangers and five big stars from me.

When Addy Topic returned home to Rookery Cove in Tasmania, and to her childhood home, she wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do. Her parents had died, and the house had been a rental. But now that she’d secured a job in a nearby town, she thought she’d renovate the old home before selling it. She could then live closer to her job. But Addy had a dark secret, one that had kept her company for years. Now she drank to forget…

Steph Gallagher and her husband Henri had decided to move from mainland Australia to Tasmania, and the small town of Rookery Cove. They, along with toddler Monty, had had a memorable holiday in the Cove with Henri’s teenage daughter along for the week, and Monty loved Zoe. Their decision to move where Steph could open an online business and Henri could work from home was stymied by poor internet reception – which didn’t help two businesses – and the fact that Zoe’s mother decided she should send Zoe to live with Henri and Steph for a year as she started high school.

Almost sixty-year-old Brenda Lambeck had finally moved into the home she and her husband Greg had decided to build before he died. Brenda advertised for a lodger and Marilyn, a teacher at the nearby school, came to stay. Brenda had always had a rocky relationship with her daughter Courtney, while she got on well with her two sons. Brenda also saw a lot of her grandchildren, whom she loved dearly. When Marilyn decided it would be great to re-start the town’s choir, they gradually had a few people join. It was Addy’s mother who had run and loved the choir years before, and Brenda was sure Rita was looking down favourably.

When disaster struck and the betrayal hit hard, the shockwaves rippled through the choir members and beyond. What would be the outcome for the many who were affected? And would all the secrets come to light?

A Family of Strangers by Aussie author Fiona Lowe gives us many insights into the lives of different women. Of the relationships between mothers and daughters and the fraught stresses of taking on too much. The resentments that flare and are voiced, are bound to hurt – the need to vocalise builds up until it explodes. I had mixed emotions about these women – they were written well by the author. There are many topics covered in this book; all are handled well. Highly recommended.

With thanks to HarperCollins Publishers AU via NetGalley for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Set in a beautiful coastal town in Tasmania, A Family of Strangers follows three women Addy, Brenda and Steph, all with very different problems that need addressing, while looking for support and friendship to get through them they all join the local community choir. This book is not without some very serious topics but as always, they are handled extremely well and it is quite enlightening to see how they all unfold. Can the joy of singing and music solve the world’s problems? You will need to read it to find out, but let’s just say the journey was not without a few bum notes.

This story is beautifully written and has had the time and care taken to caress all the finer details to make it perfect. A Family of Strangers is a book that every reader will relate with in one way or another, it will warm your heart and wet your eyes and you will love every minute. With a release date just days away you can get your own copy and delve into the 500 joyous pages next week

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Aus for this early reading copy, this one gets all the stars from me.

How absolutely wonderful to read an amazing book set in Tasmania!
To read this story brings up questions we all have, how much do we really know our friends or family? What are the secrets that everyone keeps? How much of ourselves do we really share?
Addy is a lovable main character, she arrives back to her childhood home, ready to commence a new job and life in Rookery Cove. I love how the ups and downs of Addy’s life brings her to where she is now.
Intermingling Addy’s story of acceptance and finding yourself, with Steph’s and Brenda’s, is relatable and makes for a fantastic page turner that any reader will enjoy.
Fiona Lowe once again writes with superb perception as she explores the many emotions and layers of family and what ties them together.

Thank you to Harlequin Australia HQ, NetGalley and the amazingly perceptive Fiona Lowe for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another wonderful book from author Fiona Lowe. She certainly knows how to draw me in, although I think I was a little slower to get involved in this one. A reflection of my life at the moment I think as in the end I was able to set aside reading time and flew through the second half in a few hours.

Addy returns to Rookery Cove where she grew up, moving into her parents old house and to take up a job at the local TAFE after her relationship broke down. Steph and Henry relocate from the mainland with their son and Henry’s teenage daughter after having an ideal summer holiday there. Brenda is hoping to finally become true to herself since her husband died. The local choir is being resurrected to bring funds into the community and tensions arise when a secret is revealed at a local competition.

There are many themes running through this book and I really liked how they wove together. The characters were realistic and likeable, sometimes exasperating, though drawing me into their lives.
A wonderful community to get involved in and I loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.

One of the things Fiona Lowe does so well is she draws her readers into the story so as they feel part of it, they feel the emotions, good and bad they can relate to the characters, Fiona Lowe is a born story teller and this one is just brilliant, I do hope you come to a beautiful part of Australia, Rookery Cove in Tasmania and get to know Addy, Steph, Brenda and the other fabulous characters that made this story a must read.

Addy Topic has moved back home to the small beachside town she grew up in and was so happy to get away from all those years ago, she had her reason for wanting to get away and now with the prospect of a fabulous job she is back, there have been a few changes but the beach is still there, her home is there and now the choir that her mother ran for many years is starting up again and Addy is joining it although it is the last thing she needs or wants.

Stephanie Gallagher and her husband Henry and young son Monty have moved to Rookery Cove to start living life better, to enjoy the beach and the area, Steph is planning to start an online business while Henry works hard in IT from home, but when Henry’s teenage daughter comes to live with them and life does not go the way Steph planned things are turning upside down for her and she wants something just for herself and this is when she joins the choir hoping to make new friends.

Brenda Lambeck a long term resident of Rookery Cove, she has lived on the farm with her husband and three children but now she is widowed and moved into town to a new house, Brenda has her best friend, Marilyn living with her, when Marilyn decides to re-start the Rookery Cove choir Brenda joins up, she is also hoping to mend some fences with her daughter Courtney but keeping a secret may well hinder that part of her wish.

The night of the first choir performance heralds a terrible betrayal when someone spills the beans and life spirals out of control for all three of these woman and the people they are close to, can these woman put their lives back together and move forward, will their strength and courage shine through, will their friendships and the feeling of family pull them through?

I loved this book from start to finish, I felt the emotions playing out in all of these woman I cried for them and I cheered them on, I got frustrated with them at times as well, in this truly beautifully written story. Fiona Lowe has bought these woman to life is such a realistic way, I felt for them so much. I have never been disappointed with one of her stories they get better with each one and I think this one just might be the best, I look forward to what comes next.

This is a book that I highly recommend, clear the calendar and give yourself the time to sit down and read this brilliant book.

My thanks to Harlequin AU and Netgalley for my digital copy to read and review.

ABSOLUTE PAGE TURNER!!
Yet again, Fiona Lowe delivers the goods in A Family of Strangers. This page-turning read explores the complexities and sensitivities that many of us face in life - and often don't talk about or share. Set in Rookery Cove, we meet Addy who has relocated, looking to escape her troubles, which have seen her find solace through alcohol and numerous one-night stands. Hoping to keep a low profile in Rookery Cove, she's encouraged by Brenda, her mum's friend to join the choir.
After her husband passes away, Brenda builds her retirement home and settles in Rookery Cove, sharing with her friend Marilyn, who together decide to start a choir, drawing on Marilyn's experience as a teacher. Brenda's daughter Courtney and granddaughters live close by, whilst her adult sons have moved away.
Stephanie moves to Rookery Cove with her husband and young son, seeking a sea change and to establish a business, which proves challenging, and becomes more so when Henry's teenage daughter Zoe moves in to live with them.
These seemingly random, complex and different characters all come together in the Rookery Cove choir, the story sensitively the explores complexities and challenges that many of us face through life, and how through the support of friends these can be overcome.
I loved everything about this book, and was sad when it ended - the sign of a great read is thinking about it's characters between reading sessions and long after finishing the book - and A Family of Strangers certainly delivered. If I could give more the 5* - I would!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This was her year of living intentionally.’

Addy Topic returns to Rookery Cove, on Tasmania’s northwest coast, after leaving a toxic relationship in Melbourne. With her parents both dead, Addy’s plan is to renovate her family home to rent out. But in the short-term, Addy is living there: she has started a new job, is pressed for time and hopeful for promotion. Being in Rookery Cove brings back some uncomfortable memories for Addy, and she tries to find refuge in work and alcohol.

Stephanie Gallagher is a newcomer to Rookery Cove. She and her husband Henry and their toddler son are looking for a more relaxed pace of life. But life changes when Henry’s daughter Zoe moves in with them fulltime. The happy girl who spent holidays with Henry and Stephanie had been replaced by a moody disgruntled teenager. And, while Henry and Stephanie have agreed to share domestic tasks, Henry is not pulling his weight.

Brenda Lambeck, widowed with three adult children, is gradually adapting to her new life. Her relationship with her daughter Courtney is difficult, and Brenda is finding it very hard to find the right time to tell Courtney about her new relationship.

These three women are at the core of this novel. They are brought together (some more willing than others) to participate in Rookery Cove’s choir. Ms Lowe brings the women, their challenges, and conflicts to life in this totally absorbing novel which transported me ‘home’ to Tasmania’s north-west coast. Three contemporary women facing a range of life challenges. Stephanie’s family is under stress, Addy is trying to find her own place, free from the trauma of the past, while Brenda is struggling to put her own needs first. Each of these women, in their desire to please others, is losing themselves.

This novel held my attention from beginning to end. Ms Lowe brought the small community of Rookery Cove to life: her characters are believably human, facing contemporary issues and making mistakes (as we all do) along the way.

Highly recommended.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia HQ for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Yes, this title really describes the book.

Stephanie Gallagger, just recently move to Rookery Cove with her family, supposedly to start a new slower life. But thing doesn't go as smooth as their plan. Her family dynamic is more full on especially after her step daughter joins to live with them.

Addy Topic, also just recently move back to her hometown and her childhood house, Rookery Cove, following her new teaching job at local college. However, going back to her hometown brought up her past while she also fights her addiction to alcohol.

Brenda Lambeck, a widow with three adult children. After her husband passed away, she opens her house to a boarder, Marilyn. But Marilyn is not just a boarder for Brenda, there is deeper connection between them.

These three disparate characters will come together in a community choir which led by Marilyn. The choir helps them to bond with one another and showed that being part of community is like finding a new family for them.

Fiona Lowe’s latest offering transports you directly to Tasmania’s North-West. As a regular traveller to the area, and having close family connections to that region I felt like I was right there and part of the community. This is due to Fiona’s ability to describe the scenery and characters in an engaging way, without the descriptions being too ornate and distracting from the narrative.

I love the way that Fiona tackles contemporary issues in our society. Often I find myself consuming other media in parallel with my reading of Fiona’s novels, as usually the societal issues her characters face I have not have much exposure to. In A Family of Strangers issues faced by characters include alcoholism, bullying, gaslighting, sexuality, miscarriage, sexual harassment and more.

Addy Topic has returned to her hometown of Rookery Cove, Tasmania after many years on the mainland. In the time since she left her hometown her parents have passed away and her return to the small town brings up some memories from her past she may have preferred to leave there.

Steph Gallagher and her husband and small son have recently moved to Rookery Cove, and finding what was meant to be a fun seachange a more challenging move than she had hoped for.

Brenda Lambeck is widowed with three grown up children. Her relationships with her family and others in Rookery Cove are explored.

The title A Family of Strangers is perfect for this interesting set of characters. The three women come together as part of a choir, and I think this shows that a family can be much more than your blood relatives. Community groups are a fantastic way to meet people, particularly in rural areas, and the community choir in this novel shows the importance of those connections.

I think Fiona’s life experiences in the health industry, together with her research skills and her compassion shine through with the sometimes difficult scenarios her characters find themselves facing.

While I read an advanced reading copy of this edition, I will likely also purchase the audiobook. I have used Fiona’s audiobooks in the past, and the narrator Rebecca Macauley does a great job of them.